Wire
by ebonynightwriter
Summary: Inoue's life is one with a wire wrapped around her neck, slowly being bound. Tighter and tighter. Until she bleeds all over the marble floor. :One-shot:


_I seriously don't know what happened with this one. I hear the word 'wire' and immediately thought of Inoue lying on the floor; dying. D= (what is wrong with me? XD) Oh well, I haven't written many character deaths with other characters, and I've never read about Inoue dying, so that's an interesting turn of events._

_I wrote this while listening to Dumbledore's Farewell from the Harry Potter OST. Suits the mood of it well. I'd recommend reading to it at least once with it._

**:Wire:  
>:225/12:**

"_Inoue!"_

When they find her, it's too late.

-.-..-.

Inoue lies on a bed of cold marble and shattered hope. She is unmoving with her eyes half open, staring blankly at the never-ending ceiling of Las Noches' tower. Darkness and despair swallow her vision. All she can see is blackness. She is numb.

Ichigo is the first to her; of course, he came here to save her after all, leaving his friends behind, going to fight a battle. To save their friend, they had said. They had promised to bring her back safely, and to go home together, at any cost.

He doesn't know what's happened until he reaches the tower, bursting through its large white doors with rage and sweat and blood falling from his face. He sees her lying on the stone floor still with a circle of crimson growing around her. Suddenly everything is very, very real. He runs up and kneels beside her; staring at her with a face so struck in awe and fear. He doesn't know what to do. Not anymore. He's come to fight. To _win._ But he doesn't know what to do when the enemy is blood flowing from his friends' body, doesn't know what to do with no sword to clash against. The enemy is one he's faced before, but she's always been there, always been there to heal it. He never thought she'd be the one that would need healing.

He holds his hands over the wound and prays for his friends to come quickly.

The world is much too quiet now; it gnaws at him from the inside out.

-.-..-.

It doesn't take long for their friends to arrive. One by one; Ishida, Chad, Renji and Rukia come through the great white doors, fighting their own battles, the enemy following closely behind them. They are shocked to see Ichigo leaning over her body, hands pressed to the wound, desperately trying to fight it in any way he can. Rukia is there in an instant, sliding to a stop beside them, taking over his work. Her hands pressing into Inoue, her white dress stained with so much blood it is now crimson. Rukia shines her kidō, green wisps of energy dancing around her hands, closing the wound, slowly, hoping it's not too late. Soon her hands are like Ichigo's; stained with crimson, dyed in the blood of her friend. Her face is hard, focused with sweat running down it. Fear running through her veins and up her throat and she shuts her eyes in a futile attempt to block out the sound of the approaching enemy.

There's too much blood.

Then something happens. The blood fades and the wound begins to close. There's a light around them all; an orange glow. Inoue's last chance at life. Slowly, she blinks, taking in her surroundings, watching as her friends stare back at her with relief-stricken faces. How funny it is, that they came to save her, and it was her that saved herself.

-.-..-.

They shut the white doors and wait. They can hear the muffled shouts and coos of the Arrancar, edging them to come out and fight. Ichigo looks at his friend's faces, and he knows that they're not up for this. Not for the enemy that's coming. They're too injured, too tired to face the enemy. Even with Inoue's powers working their hardest. It's too much.

But they can't give up here, not now. They came to save their friend, and beat Aizen.

And that's what they'll do.

They face to door, and through all the sounds of footsteps and muffled voices edging closer; they can still cling onto hope.

The door opens.

_They're all stubborn fools anyway._

**:Fin:**

_I know what you're thinking; "What about Ulquiorra? Isn't he supposed to be there? How did Inoue get injured? Didn't Ichigo bust through the wall like a badass instead of using the door? That's so lame! You're so confusing why can't you make sense in your writing! DX" _

_I know it's confusing and strange and makes no sense (that's just what I do! =D). I don't know; maybe Ulquiorra's leading the Arrancar for one big final attack against the invading forces? =D (Now that I think of it, that'd be pretty cool.) _

_Leave your confusion ridden comments in the reviews! I might (heavy, heavy emphasis on the might) write out more to this. We'll see. _

_I don't own Bleach._

_-Toushi_


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